North Cape Navigator…….Stavanger

We left Bergen at 10 pm and sailed off for Stavanger. This was an short unscheduled stop made possible by the change of route when we got permission to travel through the islands on the “inside route”.

En-route Bergen - Stavanger. Last chance to see the impressive sunset over Norway

We docked in Stavanger at 8am 22nd June. We decided that we would just wander around Gamle (old) Stavanger as we only had a few hours. I had had several short stopovers there before, as that was part of the route on the Bergen Line ferry service from Newcastle to Bergen.

We decided that we did not have time to visit any of the several museums, which cater for all tastes, and just walked up and down the steep cobbled streets of the old town. The wooden buildings there date from the 19c.

We came across a flower market in one of the squares. Most of the flowers there were indoor plants, which reminded me that most of the private houses I had visited had a variety of indoor plants, no doubt to compensate gardeners for the long winters and short summers. As usual there are many statues around, some of people I had heard of, but many I hadn’t.

Pigeons the world over have no respect for worthy citizens!

I’m afraid I don’t remember who this gentleman was and have lost the notes I made. Maybe someone out there can enlighten me.

When we arrived back on the Balmoral, the official from the tax office was there to refund the VAT we had paid on some of our purchases which was rather pleasant. 🙂

We left at 1pm and waved our fond farewells to Norway.

I decided to treat myself to a spa treatment in the afternoon. The spa is staffed, mainly, by beautiful girls from Thailand. They are tiny, perfectly proportioned ladies with welcoming smiles and give the impression that their aim in life is to make you feel special.

My lady was called Lala and as I peered through the hole in the bed, when I was lying face down, I realised that her immaculate grooming even included beautifully pedicured feet with the nails French varnished.

I had never visited a spa before but I could see how addictive it could become, (for those with money to spare!), as I floated out of the salon to go and get ready for the Captain’s farewell cocktail party and gala dinner that evening.

2 comments

First, a note on our fires – yes, I’m very near to them. The ones to the north are about 50 miles away, and to the west perhaps 100-150. The ones west are worse, but having them both west and north means we’ve had a good bit of smoke. Still no rain at all, and not a bit forecast. The next ten days? Sunny and hot.

I went google-searching and found your man. I typed “Stavanger statue” into the image search box and there he was. Here’s what I found:

Alexander L. Kielland (1849 – 1906) was one of the most famous Norwegian authors of the 19th century. Born in Stavanger, he grew up in a rich merchant family. Even though he was born rich he had a sincere affection for the less fortunate. And he treated his workers well when he was a factory owner. He remained a spokesman for the weak and a critic of society throughout his time as a writer. Among his most famous works are the novels Garman & Worse (1880), Skipper Worse (1882), and Poison (gift, 1883). His short stories are also well known.

Personally, I’ve never heard of him – but there’s the answer to your question!

We haven’t had anything on the news this last day or two about the fires. Hope they are under control now. It must be terrifying, I have always been scared of fires…I don’t even like bonfires.
Thank you for your detective work on Alexander, now that you have told me I remember. 🙂